The Loss of One
by redhead evans
Summary: ADMM What happened right before Dumbledore left Hogwarts in OOTP? Who was he with, what was he doing?


Some text taken from Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix, pages 610-623, US hardcover.

Minerva rose gracefully from her place at the head table, aware of the fact that Albus Dumbledore mirrored her movements to her left. She knew he would offer to walk her back to her room next, as he did every night, and that he would abandon his dinner simply to escort her. She also knew that he was done eating, no matter what it looked like. This game they played had been started long ago and by now they knew how to play sportingly.

She allowed her gaze to wander as she sidestepped around the large and heavy velvet cushioned chair, coming to rest on the now nearly empty house tables that took up most of the space in the Great Hall. Whereas students shared gossip over a meal and in-between classes, teachers were forced to limit their conversations to dinner for the most part. It was not an uncommon occurrence to find a teacher with a red inkwell next to the pitcher of pumpkin juice, a stack of essays next to her plate, and a quill in the hand she wasn't using to eat with. Because of this conversation limiting factor most of the teachers remained in the Great Hall far longer than most of their students, who left the table in lieu of their common rooms. When a teacher left the Hall it was always to begin grading.

She heard Dumbledore's inquiring tones as though from a distance and yet heard them in her mind as if he had shouted, dragging up the words from her memory. With an effort she dragged her thoughts back to the table and turned slowly to favor him with her steady green gaze. She was thinking enough to force up a smile, although it came of its own free will as she extended her hand to him, as always. He flashed her a charming smile, a twinkle in his eyes, and took her outstretched hand as gingerly as fragile glass and led her from the room. The students in the Great Hall thought nothing of the occurrence, if they saw it at all, while the teachers merely resumed conversation without a thought.

The halls were always empty at that point in the night; they encountered next to no one on the way to her quarters. She whispered the password once she reached the portrait of Godric Gryffindor that guarded the entrance to her chambers and he took her hand, kissing it softly and wishing her goodnight. She smiled at him before turning and walking through the portrait hole, which swung shut behind her. She passed through the cluttered living room and into the bedroom, quickly and deftly removing her hairpins and letting her long black hair cascade loose down her back. After fluffing her hair for a moment more in front of the full-length mirror she grimaced at her reflection and went to her closet. With some difficulty she found the empty hangers and started to strip, hanging each article neatly on the hanger and putting it back in the closet, until she reached her slip, which she left alone. She pursed her lips at her reflection and, with one last fluff of her hair, she stepped through the mirror and into a stone passageway, brightly lit by several torches. She padded down the passage and into another bedroom, this one littered with pictures of Albus and herself, some with friends and others with family. Although the room she had just left was and had always been her room, this one felt more like home to her. She was just about to climb into bed when Albus entered the room from a passage opposite of the one she had just walked through; she smiled over her shoulder at him and flicked back a large corner of the bed sheets, slipping between them and gesturing at the large empty space next to her. He followed her example, lying down beside her with a small kiss and a grin.

"Shall we to bed Professor?" he asked, mirroring the tone he had used to escort her from the hall.

"Indeed Headmaster," she said, playing along with an ill-disguised grin plastered to her face.

Minerva woke an hour later and rolled over to watch her husband sleep. He looked so peaceful and calm that she couldn't help but smile as she slipped deftly from his grasp and out of the bed. She shivered slightly as the cold air hit her body and longing to slip back into bed. She decided against her heavy tartan dressing gown, the one she used when out on patrol to maintain the teacher look and the one that she used sometimes to hide her lack of clothing, having been disturbed too late at night to be wearing any clothes, and chose instead a short, white satin bathrobe.

She belted it shut as she stealthily crept from the room, traveling back down the hallway to her rooms. The torches sprang to life as she neared them, dimming magically to enough light to see by so she wouldn't wake Albus. She crossed through the bedroom, walking around the neatly made bed, and into her sitting room, curling up instantly in an armchair. A wave of her hand sparked a fire in the grate and she stared into it, allowing her thoughts to wander aimlessly. It was not an uncommon occurrence for one of the Dumbledore's to get up in the middle of the night, curl up by the fire and think, waiting for their spouse to invariably come to bring them back to bed.

A knock on her portrait startled her out of her reverie and with a jolt she realized that it was still some time before curfew. Realizing with a rueful smile that it was most likely a student at her door and cursing whatever deity had made her put on the robe instead of her heavy and concealing tartan dressing gown she belted it tighter as she walked to the door. Whoever it was was in for enough of a shock without overexposure.

"Miss Granger," she said in some surprise as the painting was swung open to reveal the one person who she thought least likely to be bothering her with homework questions.

Hermione took one look at her clothing before starting to apologize, trying to back away inconspicuously.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything Professor," she said uneasily. Minerva knew that she should have been blushing at that point but chose to ignore the innuendo and therefore the blush. "It's not really all that important, I'll just come back later."

"No it's quite alright Miss Granger," Minerva said hastily. Preventing Hermione from leaving completely. "You aren't interrupting anything aside from me burning my retinas by looking at the fire for too long. Please come in," she said, stepping aside so that the girl could walk past her into the room.

Hermione did so with obvious reluctance, settling gingerly on the couch as Minerva sat in the chair.

"What can I help you with Miss Granger?" Minerva asked after a moment of silence.

"It's just trouble writing the essay that you assigned today Professor," Hermione said, warming up at the topic. "I checked the library and it seems that Complex Transfigurations seems to disagree on the theory that I found in Changes of Nature. Without a solid theory I can't write a proper essay on the subject since I would be defending a particular point of view instead of summarizing it. I was wondering if you had had an idea in mind for us to focus on when you-"

"Minerva?" came Albus' voice from the bedroom, causing Hermione to break off abruptly and Minerva to mentally curse her fate. The girl would certainly not believe that she hadn't been interrupting anything now.

After a moment of debating whether to respond or not she called out a quiet but clear "In here honey" and settled into mentally bashing her head against the wall while she waited for Albus to enter the room.

Luckily for her he was both quick on the uptake and suitably clothed in a bright purple dressing gown. With a quiet greeting to Hermione, who had shot a quick glance to Minerva before fixing her eyes back on the Headmaster, he crossed the room to stand behind Minerva's chair. Hermione's moth made a small 'o' in realization.

"I'm so sorry Professor," Hermione said quickly, obviously launching into a long ramble seemingly directed only at Dumbledore. "I had no idea you two were together."

"Forty two years," Minerva said, ending Hermione's babble. Her hand went unbidden to the gold chain around her neck where her wedding bands hung, normally invisible under her teaching robes. The white robe she was wearing however only served to accentuate the contrast of the gold against her pale skin. Hermione's eyes widened once more as she caught sight of the rings and started to chatter nervously once more. She stood up quickly, still babbling, and practically ran to the door, leaving Minerva with no choice but to follow her and let the girl out. She caught Hermione's arm just before she left.

"I know that there is no need to tell you to be discreet with the information Miss Granger, if you must share it at all. This is not only a personal matter, but a safety issue as well. I know I can trust you."

Hermione nodded once before turning and fleeing down the hall. Minerva watched her go with a sigh.

"I'm so sorry Min," Albus said upon her collapse into what she was now calling her unlucky chair. "I had no idea-"

"Of course not Albus," she said, cutting him off wearily, "how could you possibly have known. Besides, we can trust Hermione, more than we could have trusted almost anyone else who could have been in the room instead. I just hope Delores doesn't find out."

"Even if she did, what could that woman possibly do to us?" Albus said reasonably.

"That toad," Minerva said calmly, "can do way to much to us for my liking."

"How would she find out?" Albus asked, still being the voice of reason.

"God only knows how that woman does anything around here but she does it," Minerva stated grimly.

Albus said nothing, merely pulling a chair closer to hers and sitting in it, summoning a table covered in chess pieces in between them. Minerva was black, as usual, and the game begun in silence. A few more seconds trickled by, with only the sound of the crackling fire in the hearth keeping the room from utter silence, before the sound of smashing pieces started to tell any listening ears what massacre was taking place. Time passed quickly, the clock chimes seemed to no longer coincide with the actual time, and it was in the middle of the fifth game that time became reality.

"Someone is trying to access my office," Albus said suddenly. Minerva made a sympathetic face. "I must go," he said hurriedly. Minerva waved off his apology and followed him at a rapid pace down the corridor to their rooms, Minerva stopping to quickly throw on her robes and grab her hairpins before running to catch up to her husband, who was also quickly dressing in his own chambers. A quick spell had her hair in its strict bun by the time she walked through the door to his office and she quickly settled herself in the chair across the desk from Albus, who threw a random folder into her lap. Taking the cue, Minerva started to talk loudly about the changes she was making in her curriculum. Across from her, Albus had assumed his Headmaster pose, eyes twinkling at her imperceptibly from behind his glasses.

A knock at the door thankfully cut Minerva's improvisations short and she turned, as she would have normally, to the door as Albus called out.

"Come in Cornelius."

The door swung open soundlessly, admitting the Minister, wearing his signature lime green bowler and cloak.

"Minister," Minerva said warmly, standing to greet him and hating every minute of it. "What a pleasant surprise."

"What brings you here at such an hour Minister?" Dumbledore asked, reaching across the desk to shake hands.

"Unpleasant business I'm afraid Dumbledore," Cornelius said with a sad shake of his head. "It seems that Delores has caught wind of an illegal operation running in you school. The Aurors are right behind me and the leader and witness should be in shortly after them."

"You can't be serious Fudge," Minerva said before she could really think about the words, "what law have they broken?"

"Educational Decree number Twenty-Four I'm afraid," Fudge said as Kingsley Shacklebolt and Dawlish, Minerva couldn't remember his first name, entered the room. Kingsley shot a small smile at Minerva, who returned it, before going to stand behind his employer. A few tense moments later and Dumbledore was calling for Percy Weasley to enter. By this point Minerva was ready to kill half the people in the room, just because they were there. It was then that Umbridge entered.

She was hauling a student in by the elbow, with a pang Minerva recognized Harry.

"Well, well, well, well," Fudge said maliciously, making himself sound like an idiot with his seemingly stuttering.

"He was heading back to Gryffindor Tower," Umbridge informed her master eagerly, whether that was because she liked him that much or she liked being useful for a change Minerva wasn't sure. "The Malfoy boy cornered him."

Of frickin' course, Minerva thought to herself, that ferret would give up his own father for his ambition. Fudge of course was pleased.

"Did he, did he?" he said. Again with the stuttering thing, Minerva pointed out unforgiving in her mind. "I must remember to tell Lucius. Well Potter… I expect you know why you are here?"

She could tell instantly that when Harry opened his mouth something Gryffindorish was going to come out. While she was indeed proud even she knew how to be diplomatic.

"Yeh-no."

"I beg your pardon?" said Fudge. Minerva, who had been thinking the same thing, curled her lip in distaste.

"No." Proper English this time.

"You don't know why you're here?" The man sounded entirely too much like he was repeating that phrase for his own benefit, not to give Harry a chance to rectify a mistake for Minerva's liking.

"No, I don't," Harry said.

"So you have no idea why Professor Umbridge has brought you into this office? You are not aware that you have broken any school rules?"

Minerva could see Harry tallying up his numerous offenses for a witty remark. Thankfully he decided to play blithely ignorant.

"School rules?" Harry asked, as if he had never heard of such a thing in his life. "No."

"Or Ministry decrees?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

All this really could have meant was that he paid attention to very little. Minerva supposed that it was feasible to ignore the educational decrees. Highly unlikely with Hermione Granger as a BFF but nevertheless possible.

"So it's news to you, is it, that an illegal student organization has been discovered within the school?" Minerva thought he was starting to sound like Vernon Dursley.

"Yes, it is." Note to self, get Harry acting lessons.

"I think Minister, we might make better progress if I fetch our informant." Minerva personally thought that Delores was trying to sound sexy, and was failing miserably. If Snape wouldn't have been so bent over Potter's rule breaking, Minerva would have invited him for the show. And some popcorn.

"Yes, yes, do," Fudge said, sending Umbridge from the office. "There's nothing like a good witness is there Dumbledore?"

"Nothing at all, Cornelius," Albus said calmly although Minerva could see the anger behind the twinkle in his eyes.

When Marietta entered the room, hands over face, Minerva couldn't help but think how fickle teen-age girls were. She was so fascinated by this idea, and the thought of what horrible 'gasp' thing was under her hands, that she didn't reenter the conversation until Fudge leapt into the fire, cursing.

Instantly Minerva vowed to give Hermione Granger 100 points the next time she saw her. For her it was easy to recognize Hermione's handiwork, and she was already breaking down the spell in her head, just so that she knew the counter curse when Umbridge couldn't reverse it. Even if she didn't use it to fix the poor Ravenclaw it would make her feel better inside knowing that she had beaten Delores.

"Never mind the spots now, dear," Umbridge said impatiently, nearly forcing Minerva to stuff her fist in her mouth to keep from laughing. It was no longer possible for anyone to ignore the purple SNEAK written across Marietta's face.

"Oh very well, you silly girl, I'll tell him," snapped Delores. Minerva idly thought that working for the toad would be most unpleasant. No appreciation you see.

Minerva could envision the scene Delores mapped out for them, barely managing to keep the grin from her face.

"Haven't we got a counterjinx for this?" Fudge asked at some point. Minerva leaned forward eagerly in her seat.

"I haven't yet managed to find one." HA!

"But it doesn't matter if she won't speak, I can take up the story from here.

"You will remember, Minister, that I sent you a report back in October that Potter had met a number of fellow students in the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade-"

Minerva ruthlessly cut her off. "And what is your evidence for that?" It was a guilty pleasure of hers to play Devil's advocate and it wasn't being helped by the fact that she also loved to cause Delores trouble. Besides, the base work had already been laid out; it was now her turn to debate things. Minerva didn't do ground work; she only put the finishing touches on.

"I have testimony from Willy Widdershins, Minerva, who happened to be in the bar at the time," Delores simpered at her. "He was heavily bandaged, it is true, but his hearing was quite unimpaired. He heard every word Potter said and hastened straight to the school to report to me."

"Oh, so _that's_ why he wasn't prosecuted for setting up all those regurgitating toilets!" she replied wittily, raising an eyebrow and continuing on in a sarcastic tone. "What an interesting insight into our justice system."

She was pleased to note that several portraits backed her up on this issue, at least until Albus told them to be quiet. Minerva resisted the impulse to scowl at him.

"The purpose of Potter's meeting with these students was to persuade them to join an illegal society, whose aim was to learn spells and curses the Ministry has decided are inappropriate for school age-"

"I think you'll find you're wrong there Delores," Dumbledore said. Minerva turned her head so fast that she cracked her neck but continued to stare at him incredulously. She couldn't imagine what stunt he was trying to pull.

"Oho!" exclaimed Fudge. "Yes, do let's hear the latest cock-and-bull story designed to pull Potter out of trouble!" Minerva involuntarily bristled. "Go on, then, Dumbledore, go on- Willy Widdershins was lying, was he? Or was it Potter's identical twin in the Hog's Head that day? Or is there some simple explanation involving a reversal of time, a dead man coming back to life, and a couple of invisible dementors?" If all Fudge had gotten out of the 'Save Sirius, Use a Time Turner' campaign was simple then he wasn't as smart as he didn't look.

"Oh, very good, Minister, very good!"

"Cornelius, I do not deny- and nor, I am sure, does Harry- that he was in the Hog's Head that day, nor that he was trying to recruit students to a Defense Against the Dark Arts group." Minerva had lost him by that point. Wasn't the point to get Harry off the hook? If they weren't going to deny anything she doubted that the Ministry would let him go for being honest. "I am merely pointing out that Delores is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at that time, illegal." Minerva was following now, although she was unsure where she was getting led to. "If you remember, the Ministry decree banning all student societies was not put into effect until two days after Harry's Hogsmeade meeting, so he was not breaking any rules in the Hog's Head at all."

A mere technicality, Minerva was sure.

"That's all very fine, Headmaster," Umbridge said sweetly. "But we are now nearly six months on from the introduction of Educational Decree Number Twenty-four. If the first meeting was not illegal, all those that have happened since most certainly are."

"Well," Albus said. Minerva knew that look; it was going to be getting good soon. "They certainly would be, if they had continued after the decree came into effect. Do you have any evidence that these meetings continued?" Minerva saw the minute shift in the headmaster's attention and shifted hers in response, just in time to see a spell hit Marietta full on and to see Kingsley discreetly slipping his wand up his sleeve.

"Evidence?" Delores said with a look that reminded Minerva of a frog with a fly. "Have you not been listening, Dumbledore? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?"

"Oh, can she tell us about six months' worth of meetings? I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight."

Minerva hastily bit back a laugh.

Umbridge had turned to Marietta. "Miss Edgecombe, tell us how long these meetings have been going on, dear. You can simply nod or shake your head, I'm sure that won't make the spots worse." Au contraire, Minerva would be willing to bet that would indeed make them worse. A Hermione Granger scorned was a very vindictive little thing. "Have they been happening regularly over the past six months? Just nod or shake your head dear. Come on now, that won't activate the jinx further…"

Marietta shook her head.

"I don't think you understood the question, did you, dear?" Minvera could see how much that calm demeanor was costing her. "I'm asking whether you've been going to these meetings for the past six months? You have, haven't you?"

Marietta shook her head.

"What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?" Umbridge demanded.

"I would have thought that her meaning was quite clear," Minerva said, masking her triumph. "There have been no secret meetings for the past six months. Is that correct Miss Edgecombe?"

Marietta nodded, proof that Kingsley was good with Memory Charms.

"But there was a meeting tonight! There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement! And Potter was the leader, was he not, Potter organized it, Potter– _why are you shaking your head, girl?_"

"Well," Minerva commented snidely. "Usually when a person shakes their head they mean 'no'. So unless Miss Edgecombe is using a form of sign language as yet unknown to humans…" she trailed off delicately as Umbridge started shaking Marietta violently. Albus was on his feet in an instant, wand out, and Kingsley had surged forward as well. Seconds later Umbridge let go of Marietta as if scalded.

"I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Delores."

"You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge," Kingsley warned her. "You don't want to get yourself into trouble now.

"No," Delores breathed. "I mean, yes- you're right Shacklebolt- I- I forgot myself."

"Delores, the meeting tonight- the one we know definitely happened-"

"Yes, yes… well, Miss Edgecombe tipped me off and I proceeded at once to the seventh floor, accompanied by certain trustworthy students, so as to catch those in the meeting red-handed." By trustworthy she meant the ferret and his fellow snakes. "It appears that they were forewarned of my arrival, however, because when we reached the seventh floor they were running in every direction. It does not matter, however. I have all of their names here, Miss Parkinson ran into the Room of Requirement for me to see if they had left anything behind… We needed evidence and the room provided…"

She pulled from her pocket a piece of parchment with sever names scribbled on it. As the list flashed out of Minerva' view she was able to make out Harry, Ron, and Hermione's signatures at the top. She also thought she spotted a Weasley twin's as well.

"The moment I saw Potter's name on the list, I knew what we were dealing with."

"Excellent. Excellent, Delores. And… by thunder…" Minerva had no idea what Fudge was by thundering about but it couldn't have been any good.

"See what they've named themselves? Dumbledore's army."

Oooo, Minerva thought to herself with a small but sharp intake of breath, not good at all. She looked expectantly at her husband, as did everyone else in the room.

"Well the game is up." For a moment Minerva was lost. They hadn't finished their last chess game and yet he was just deciding it was over. This was not done. "Would you like a written confession from me, Cornelius- or will a statement before these witnesses suffice?"

She exchanged a frantic glance with Kingsley. He was afraid that they would lose their leader and she was afraid of losing her love forever. She was trying to work out how to save the situation desperately, mind whirling.

"Statement? What- I don't-?"

Luckily it hadn't dawned on Fudge yet. That could be worked to Minerva's advantage.

"Dumbledore's Army, Cornelius. Not Potter's Army. Dumbledore's army." He certaintly wasn't helping himself, Minerva thought grumpily.

"But- but-" Minerva noted that he was once more doing the stuttering thing.

"You," Fudge shouted in realization and Minerva thought even quicker, realizing that her time was running out. Fudge, meanwhile, was once again jumping out of the fire.

"That's right." That's wrong you idiot.

"You organized this?"

"I did," Dumbledore replied, smiling broadly. Minerva knew the lie for what it was.

"You recruited these students for- for your army?"

"Tonight was supposed to be the first meeting, merely to see whether they would be interested in joining me. I see now that it was a mistake to invite Miss Edgecombe, of course."

"Then you have been plotting against me!"

"That's right." Minerva would have sworn that he was about to start bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet next.

"NO!" Minerva recognized Harry's voice without looking and had realized that he had finally figured out what was going on. The situation had sun out of her ability to control, all she could do now was get him to shut up and let it play out as Albus wished. She glared at him threateningly but he continued on. She was going to have to work on her teacher glare.

"No- Professor Dumbledore!"

"Be quiet, Harry, or I'm afraid you will have to leave my office," Albus said, thankfully coming to rescue Minerva from her failure. Harry's mouth snapped shut.

"Yes, shut up, Potter," Fudge said quickly, caught in a rush of triumph. "Well, well, well," when in doubt, repeat yourself, "I came here tonight expecting to ecxpel Potter and instead-"

"Instead you get to arrest me. It's like loosing a knut and finding a galleon, isn't it?" Minerva blinked back tears of despair.

"Weasley! Weasley, have you written it all down, everything he's said, his confession, have you got it?"

"Yes, sir, I think so, sir," Percy said from the corner. Minerva turned her head slightly to see a black ink-faced redhead poring over his notes.

"Very well, then, duplicate your notes, Weasley, and send a copy to the Daily Prophet at once. If we send a fast owl we should make the morning edition!" He turned to Albus once more. "You will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged and then sent to Azkaban to await trial!"

The mere name of the prison made Minerva want to wail with anguish.

"Ah," Albus said, as if he had found a lemon drop in his pocket or something, "yes. Yes, I thought we might hit that little snag."

"Snag? I see no snag Dumbledore." Of course _you_ can't, Minerva thought fiercely.

"Well, I'm afraid I do."

"Oh really?"

"Well- it's just that you seem to be laboring under the impression that I am going to- what is the phrase? 'Come quietly.' I am afraid I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course- but what a waste of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing."

By this point Minerva had returned back to the popcorn eating spectator that she had been earlier. Fudge made a gagging noise and looked around the room for backup. Dawlish took a step away from the wall and allowed his hand to drift casually toward his pocket.

"Don't be silly, Dawlish, I'm sure you are an excellent Auror, I seem to remember that you achieved 'Outstanding' on all of your N.E.W.T.s, but if you attempt to- er- 'bring me in' by force, I will have to hurt you."

Dawlish blinked and Fudge sneered at the Headmaster.

"So, you intend to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Delores, and myself single-handed, do you, Dumbledore?"

Minerva had only realized that full extent of this conversation at that moment and, furious with her husband for planning to leave her alone with that toad, she stood angrily, hand going quickly into the pocket of her robes for her wand.

"He will not be single-handed!"

"Oh yes he will, Minerva!" She glared at him. "Hogwarts needs you!" She only glared at him harder, although she was beginning to see the reasoning.

"Enough of this rubbish! Dawlish! Shacklebolt! Take him!"

She saw Albus make a swift gesture with his hand and moved closer to the two students at her side as the bang sounded and the floor started to shake, tackling them to the ground as a large flash of light went off. She heard someone cry "No!" but disregarded it. When Harry started to struggle under her firm hold, which she realized was on his neck and suffocating him, she released it slightly. She saw Albus approach but stayed where she was, keeping the others there too, while he checked to see that everyone was out who was supposed to be.

"Are you all right?" he asked, a hidden note of tenderness in his voice.

"Yes," she said, slightly annoyed at him for making her have to dive tackle at such an hour and partly glad to see that he cared. She dragged Harry and Marietta to their feet as she got off the floor. She could hear the soft tones of phoenix song that were Fawkes out of the corner of her eye.

"Unfortunately, I had to hex Kingsley too, or it would have looked very suspicious. He was remarkably quick on the uptake, modifying Miss Edgecombe's memory like that while everyone was looking the other way- thank him for me, won't you Minerva?

"Now, they will all awake very soon and it will be best if they do not know that we have had time to communicate- and you must act as though no time has passed, as though they were merely knocked to the ground, they will not remember-"

"Where will you go, Dumbledore?" Minerva whispered desperately. "Grimmauld Place?" she guessed, needing to know where her husband was to be staying.

"Oh no. I am not leaving to go into hiding." Minverva looked up sharply. Surely he knew how dangerous that was. "Fudge will soon wish he'd never dislodged me from Hogwarts, I promise you…" She caught the meaning he meant for her to catch. He would still come every night to her bed, their bed, and leave every morning.

"Professor Dumbledore…" Harry started, probably to apologize.

"Listen to me, Harry, you must study Occlumency as hard as you can, do you understand me? Do everything Professor Snape tells you and practice it particularly every night before sleeping so that you can close your mond to bad dreams- you will understand why soon enough, but you must promise me-"

She heard Dawlish begin to stir as Albus grabbed Harry's wrist.

"Remember- close your mind- you will understand."

His hand shot up as Fawkes swooped down and they disappeared in a flash of fire.

"Where is he?" Fudge was apparently awake. "Where is he?" And stuttering.

"I don't know!" Kingsley cried dramatically, leaping to his feet.

"Well, he can't have disapparated! You can't inside this school-"

"The stairs!" Dawlish yelled as he practically threw himself at the door and down the stairs, followed closely by Kingsley and Umbridge. Fudge let them go, slowly dusting himself off.

"Well Minerva, I'm afraid this is the end of your friend Dumbledore." She could hear the glee in his voice.

"You think so, do you?" she said nastily. Fudge looked around the wrecked office instead of replying; several of the portraits hissed, some of them going as far as to make rude hand gestures at him. Minerva was grateful for the loyalty the portraits showed her, coming to her defense in their portraity way.

"You'd better get those two off to bed," Fudge said, dismissing her with a nod. She sniffed primly but marched the two of them out the door. The portraits would deal with him in her absence. She thought she heard Phineas commenting on it as the door swung shut.

"You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on may counts… but you can't deny he's got style…"

Minerva would have loved to sink gratefully into a chair, after having gone from one end of the castle to the other in order to return students properly to their dormitories, but she knew that she couldn't. As soon as the door closed behind her she broke into a near run, heading to their bedroom, running though the mirror and down the hall. He was sitting properly on the bed, eating a lemon drop, and she tackled him instantly, kissing him passionately.

"Don't ever do that again," she ordered.

"I'll try not to," he said. "As soon as everyone's left my office it will seal itself shut against Umbridge, only you can get in it through her or the gargoyles."

"Great," she said. "Just what I've always wanted: a wrecked office." Albus chucked at her. "Stay the night," she half asked- half ordered.

"Of course my love," he replied.


End file.
